Harold w



(No Model.)

H. W. SHONNARD.

KEYBOARD ATTACHMENT.

.010 Patented Apr. 6, 1897.

w J vw awtoz NITED STATES Paras r Orricn,

HAROLD \V. SITONNARD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO G. HOKVLETT DAVIS,OF SAlilE PLACE.

KEYBOARD ATTAC l l SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No,580,010, dates April 6, 1897.

Apnlioation filed August 24, 1895. Serial No. 560,441. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: vided with a series of pivoted levers orelec- Be it known that I, HAROLD XV. SHONNARD, tric selectors 20,carried in an insulating a citizen of the United States, residing at Newblock 21, naid selectors by gravity being nor- York, in the county ofNew York and State mally in electrical contact with the terminal 5 ofNew York, have invented a certain new, block and their pointedextremities at the useful, and valuable Improvement in Keysame tiineprojecting into the slotted bar 23, board Attachments, of which thefollowing is except when prevented by the presence of the a full, clear,and exact description. perforated paper music 2i on the bar 2 My presentinvention relates to improvewhich paper is drawn by the roller 25, cari0ments in keyboard attachments for musical rying a gear 26, meshed withpinion 27, which instruments on which a keystriker is actuis rotated bythe motor 28 through the sysated by electromagnets; and the object of mytem of belts and rednotion-pulleys 2t improvements is to provide aseries of electro- The music-rollers and the slotted bar 23 magnetshaving armatures so secured to the are all carried by a hanging drawerwhich i5 key-striking levers as to bring said levers slides in guidesattached to the under side of singly or collectively as the currents arecomthe piano-keyboard, as shown in the drawing. pleted through theseries of electric selectors hen it is desired to place a new sheet ofover which the perforated paper music is music in the instrument, it issimply necesdrawn into operation, whereby the said keysary to pull outthe drawer and apply the 2o striking levers are actuated to cause thercordinary perforated music-roll, which comes spective strings whichthey represent to be especiallyputupforthis class of attachments.sounded. I attain this object by the mech- The operation of my devicemay be briefly anism illustrated in the accompanying draw stated asfollows: \Vhen the music sheet ing, in which the figure is a section ofthe drawer is pushed backin position for operat- 7 5 25 key-strikingmechanism and electromagnets, ing, the gear-wheel 26 will be made tomesh and showing also the contact-box and music with the pinion .17 andthe electrically-conrollers. nected pivoted levers 20 brought intoposition Like numerals refer to like parts throughwith relation to themusic-sheet and slotted out the drawing bar 23, so that as soon thedrivingmotor 0 The key-striker l is carried by pin 2 on frie 28 isstarted the perforated music-sheet 2 lis tion-lever 8, pivoted at at onlever 5, which is caused to travel, and as the pivoted levers or securedby pin 6 to the stationary post 7. The selectors are normally pressingagainst the armature 8 is rigidly fastened to lever 5 and said sheetthey register with the perforations when attracted by the magnet 9brings the and fall or pass therein, thereby allowing the 5 foot 11 ofthe lever 3 into frictional contact upper lateral arms of said levers orselectors with the rotating felt-covered roller 10, which to makeelectrical connection with the CO11- feeds the foot 11 and the lever 53in the directact-block 22, energizing the electromagnets tion ofitsrotation,therebystriking the piano- S), whereby the armatures S areattracted, key 12 with the striker-rod 1. causing the levers 5 to bepressed down, which o 40 The reference-numerals l3 and 14 indicate inturn brings the friction-shoes 11 into conwooden rails to which thevarious parts of tact with the periphery of the rotary drum,

4 the mechanism are secured, and the numeral giving said shoes a rockingmovement and 15 indicates a rail provided with a series of causing therods 1, which are pivoted to the adjustable buttons 16 to correspondwith and upper part of the shoes, to be given a sudden 9 5 45 which actsto limit the movement of the arupward movement, which movement iscommatures 8. municated to the rear ends of the piano-keys The numerallSindicates a felt-faced rail and accordingly to the string-striking hamofwood or other material to form a stop for mers. the i'rictiondevers 3,said rail being made ad- Numeral 30 shows the system of electrical 50justable by means of screws, as shown. connections, including a switch81, battery Reference-numeral 19 indicates a box pro- 32, and a motor28,

I am aware that it is not broadly new to provide a musical instrument ofthe self-playing type with a plurality of pivoted levers that areadapted to drop or fall into perfora tions in the note-sheet as the sameis advanced, and thereby actuate the striking mechanism, and I do notclaim such combination of parts, broadly. My invention is distinguishedfrom musical instruments of this type in that the levers are pivoted toa fixed or stationary part of the instrument and the note-sheet iscarried by a movable drawer sliding to and from the pivoted levers, thusenabling the music-sheets to be easily placed into and removed from thedrawer, and at the same time providing an instrumentwherein themusic-drawer can be located out of sight and out of the way of personsperforming upon the piano in the ordinary manner.

hat I claim is 1. In an electrically-operated self-playing piano, thecombination with suitable key-opcratingmechanism, of a plurality ofelectrically-connected pivoted levers arranged on a stationary part ofthe piano, a contact-block carrying a plurality of electric contactswith which the upper ends of the levers are by gravity made to engage, asliding drawer arranged in front of and operating to move to and fromthe pivoted levers, music-sheet rollers journaled one above the other insaid drawer, a slotted bar between said rollers, and a perforatedmusic-sheet carried by said rollers and traveling over the slotted bar,the lower end of said levers being arranged to drop or pass through theperforations in said musicsheet as the same is advanced, substantiallyas described.

2. In an electrieally-operated self-playing piano, the combination withsuitable key-opera-ting mechanism, of aplurality of electricallyconnected levers pivoted near their upper ends and having rearward andforward extending arms, said levers being carried by a stationary partof thepiano, acontact-block arranged directly beneath therearward-extending arms of said levers and with which said arms arearranged to engage, a sliding drawer in front of and moving to and fromsaid pivoted levers, music-sheet rollers journaled one above the otherin said drawer, a slotted bar arranged intermediate said rollers, and aperforated music-sheet carried by said rollers and traveling over theslotted bar, the forward-extending arms of said levers being arranged toenter or pass into the perforations in the music-sheet as the sameadvances, substantially as described.

3. In an electrical]y-operated self-playing piano, the combination withthe key-actuating mechanism, of a plurality of electricallyconnectedpivoted levers mounted on a stationary part of the piano, acontact-block with which the upper ends of said levers are adapted toengage, a sliding drawer arranged in front of and moving to and from thesaid pivoted levers, music-sheet rollers journaled in said drawer, aslotted bar intermediate said rollers and in a line with the lower endsof the pivoted levers, a perforated music-sheet traveling over saidrollers, a gear-wheelv mounted on the end of one of said rollers andcarried by the sliding drawer, a pinion carried by a fixed part on thepiano and adapted to mesh with the said gear-wheel, and means forrevolving said pinion whereby the musicsheet is advanced, substantiallyz s described.

4-. In an electrically-operated self-playing piano, the combination witha perforated music-sheet carried by a sliding drawer, of a plurality ofelectrically-conneeted pi. voted levers mounted on a stationary part ofthe piano in rear of the music-sheet, each of said levers having arearward and forward extending arm, an electric contact directly beneatheach oi'said rearward-extendingarms, the forwardextending arms of saidlevers being arranged to enter the perforations in the music-sheet, aplurality of eleetremagnets in circuit with the contact-block andlevers, an armaturclever for each magnet, a friction-shoe ivoted to eacharmature-lever, a rod connection bc tween each shoe and a key of thepiano, and a rotary drum with which the shoes are brought in contactwhen the magnets are energized through the movements of the pivotedlevers, substantiall as described.

5. In an electrically-operated self-playing piano, the combination witha sliding drawer, and a perforated music-sheet carried by said drawer,of a plurality of vertically-arraiiged clectrieally-conneeted pivotedlevers carried by a fixed part on the piano and having their lower endsin engagement with the musicsheet, a contact-block with which. the upperends of said levers are adapted to engage, a plurality offorwardly-inclined electromagnets in circuit with the said levers andcontact-block, a series oi. horizontal levers, areawardly-incl'inedarmature-leverprojecting upward from the upper sideof each of said horizontal levers, a friction-shoe pivoted. to the rearend of each horizontal lover, a rod connection between each shoe and akey of the piano, and a rotary drum with which the friction-shoes arebrought into contact when the magnets are energized through themovements of the pivoted levers, sulnstantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HAROLD N. SIIOYPJAFH).

ii'itncsses:

G. llowmrrir Davis, Wnrman I. News.

ICC

